


Lea's legs

by Ticky



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:55:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23215132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ticky/pseuds/Ticky
Summary: Aqua, Isa and Lea are at Radiant Garden. On a remark from Aqua on his legs, Lea shares an anecdote from his time in Organization XIII.
Relationships: Isa/Lea (Kingdom Hearts)
Kudos: 17





	Lea's legs

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Les gambettes de Lea](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23189821) by [Ticky](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ticky/pseuds/Ticky). 



> English is not my mother tongue.

Aqua fastened again her pauldron as Ienzo finished taking last notes on the computer. She was a bit overwhelmed by all the gear the young man was working on. Ienzo had explained to her that he had "scanned" her shoulder pad with a strange machine that converted it into "data" ; then he and his colleagues will analyze and reproduce in order to create armor like hers for the other Keyblade weilder apprentices.

"I'm going to send all this to Cid, Chip and Dale. I think with all the data you've given me, we've got plenty to work with. Thank you very much for your help. Riku will be delighted."

"You're very welcome. Riku was indeed very eager. He's been hovering around us for a while, bombarding us with questions about how it works."

She picked up her former Master's books that were stacked on a sideboard.

"If you're finished, I'll take the books back," she said, clutching them to her chest. "I'm quite fond of them," she added after considering her gesture a little abrupt.

"Yes, of course," Ienzo reassured her. "Normally, I took everything we needed. I shouldn't need to ask you for them again."

On his indication, he walked her out of the lab.

"I'm still going to have my work validated by Even," he informed Aqua as they stopped in the doorway. "You can wait in the private garden with Isa and Lea in the meantime. I'll come and warn you once it's done and then... I guess you can go back to Twilight Town to find the others. Or maybe do a little sightseeing in Radiant Garden?", he timidly suggests. "I'm sure Lea and Isa would have some interesting places to show you."

Aqua smiles politely at Ienzo's suggestion.

"It would be a pleasure, but perhaps some other time. Actually, I've been to Radiant Garden before," she says thoughtfully. "That was ten years ago, but I guess a lot has changed since then."

"Oh, well. Since Radiant Garden had disappeared during that time, I'm not sure how much has actually changed," he replied pensively. "But we'd be delighted to welcome you back to the castle, whether it's for work or not," he added enthusiastically.

"I'll try to think about it," she assured him with a smile. "Now, how do I get to the park from here?" she finally asked.

Ienzo pointed her in the right direction. Before returning to the laboratory, he told her one last time that Even's  
check would not take long. With that, Aqua left to join her two traveling companions.

On her way to the park of the castle, she stopped for a moment to contemplate the stained glass windows in the main hall. She had vague memories of Radiant Garden, since the reasons that had led her to land in the city the first time hadn't been very compatible with a stroll. This show of lights, provoked by the stained glass in the hall, convinced her that she must have missed out on a lot of beautiful things during her quick visit.

With the new responsibilities she had taken on in Land of Departure, she had much less time to visit the worlds. But she mentally promised herself that she would take at least one day to come and explore the city properly. Maybe with Kairi. It had been a while since she had seen the girl. She had been a little disappointed to learn that she would not be at Radiant Garden today, but at Destiny Island with Riku for a few days. Lea had told her, however, that this was a good thing. He said he was relieved that she had agreed to take some time for herself, given the business the girl had embarked on with the Radiant Garden team.

Aqua had sensed anxiety in his voice as he reflected on it. She remembered that Riku had already told her vaguely about his concerns about Kairi. She had never had the time to go into it with him. Another important point to add to her long list of things to do. Perhaps the young man had confided in Terra on the subject. She should think about asking him.

As she pondered the question, she finally found the two men on a terrace overlooking the garden. They were each slumped in a lawn chair, facing the huge private garden of the castle, and were in the company of another imposing man with brown hair, whom Aqua recognized as one of the guards who had greeted them at the entrance of the castle. He sat nonchalantly at a white wrought-iron table with a glass of amber liquid in his hand and seemed to be having a lively conversation with Lea. As Aqua approached, the three men turned towards her, interrupting their discussion.

Lea, who was slumped in his chair with his hands behind his head, one leg swinging on the other's knee - with the seat designed close to the floor of his seat, the level of his leg was almost at the level of his head - called out to her.

"Hey, Aqua. Are you done with Ienzo? Can we go now? Not that I don't trust Terra, but I'm a little worried about leaving him alone to babysit six overexcited teenagers. Especially since he's never done it before."

"Don't worry about Terra. He'll survive. Ienzo needs to make some final checks," she said as she put her pile of books on the wrought-iron table. "He won't be long. We'll leave once he's finished..."

She sat down, facing Dilan, on one of the chairs in the same style as the table. With a shake of the head and a friendly smile she refused the brown glass bottle that the guard silently offered her. As she turned to the other two men again, her eyes caught on Lea's legs.

Lea was, like all peolple of Radiant Gardeners in general, tall. And his legs matched his stature. With his willowy build, his legs were not only long but also slender. A common person would surely judge that Lea's legs fit easily into the female beauty canons. And Aqua had to admit that she agreed, and found his legs rather pretty to look at.

When Dilan laughed next to her and Lea and Isa gave her a surprised look, she realized with embarrassment that she had unwittingly shared her thoughts aloud. She blushed violently and opened her mouth in an attempt to rectify the slip of her tongue, but Lea went ahead of her.

"Actually, you're not the first person to tell me this..." he said looking thoughtfully at the leg he was swinging in front of him.

He didn't seem to be too shocked by the young woman's reflection. As he had caught everyone's attention, he continued in the tone of the conversation:

"During one of my missions as a scout with the Organization - in a world I will not name - I met a slightly weird guy who offered me a job that was "not too difficult and paid well". I kindly turned him down but he was bloody insistent. While he was trying to recruit me, he kept staring at me from head to toe. Especially my legs. He was practically lifting my coat to look at me. He was telling me he could make me famous and rich. How he was a famous photographer. How he worked for famous brands and so on and so forth... I thought about killing him on the spot but since I was sent out on a scouting mission and my job was to find sources of darkness to exploit. And he looked suspicious. Anyway, I mean... You know the drill...

Dilan and Isa grunted in approval. Aqua could only interpret the implied statement and although she would have liked some clarification - perhaps more out of unhealthy curiosity than ignorance - she still nodded as she wished to know the rest.

"So as I thought I sniffed out a big fish," he continued. "I decided to take him up on his offer and see what it was really all about. It turned out that he was a nerdy photographer who worked in advertising and was looking for models to showcase the products of one of his clients - which was probably an obscure brand. And according to him, I had the perfect legs for his assignment..."

He stopped there and seemed to think about what to say next. But Dilan, impatient, stopped him before he could continue:

"But what kind of pictures did this guy want? Well, I mean... Why your legs? What was his client selling?"

"Pantyhose."

Dilan nearly choked on his saliva and Aqua's eyes rounded in shock. She was startled when Isa, next to Lea, suddenly cried out:

"But... This story was true?!"

From time to time Isa was so quiet that Aqua almost forgot he was there. Until now he hadn't said a word and seemed to be watching the conversation with his head in one hand, slumped in his own seat, looking a little distracted. Lea's story must have awakened some memories in him, as as he recounted his anecdote, Isa raised his head and his eyebrows grew increasingly frowning. Now he was staring at his friend with an incredulous look on his face.

"Really! Now you're reacting !" Lea shouted at him, turning abruptly towards him.

Likely angry, he sat up in his chair and leaned abruptly towards Aqua and Dilan.

"Nah, because you guys should know that! After that, when I got RTC, I thought: "Hey, it's been a while since anything so stupid happened to me. Even if it wasn't relevant, I'm gonna put it in my report. There's no way that's not going to get a reaction from Saix because it's so absurd." Well, I'll be damned. You know what was the reaction of that dude here?!" Lea pointed his thumb insistently at Isa who, behind him, rolled his eyes. Aqua and Dilan shook their heads mechanically, completely caught up in Lea's diatribe. "Nothing! Nada! The next day he acted as if he had never read anything. Always the same! As expressive as a goldfish! Not a single remark! We all agree that anyone, even the most uptight guy, would react to an anecdote like that?" he suddenly asked Aqua and Dilan, pointing an imperious finger at them.

They automatically nodded their heads, baffled by the flood of words in which Lea was drowning them.

"It's been bothering me for days," Lea continued. He turned away from Aqua and Dilan and stared at the garden with a haunted gaze. "I began to make every possible hypothesis as to why he didn't say anything. I began to think that I was completely out of line. That I was so cut off from the world that I didn't realize that getting solicited by a guy who wants to make you wear pantyhose and take pictures of your legs had become the norm. Or that Xemnas, after Saïx told him about my misadventure, decided to get rid of me and that he didn't dare tell me-"

"Don't talk nonsense," Isa cut him off with a sigh. "Do you really think I would have told that to Xemnas?"

"I don't know," Lea said, shrugging his shoulders and turning his attention back to him. "Maybe you did. I have no idea what you were saying to him..."

"If I had told him all the bullshit you guys have been telling me in your reports, he would have gotten rid of *me* a long time ago, Lea."

"But then it really didn't do anything for you. Not even a little thrill? A little tug on the corner of your lip? A little frown?"

"Yes, probably," sighed Isa, annoyed. He tilted his head to the side as if trying to remember. "The proof is that I remember this report very well. I remember doubting that it was true. I suppose that since it was so absurd, I preferred to ignore it. Anyway, I was overwhelmed and I didn't have time for this kind of nonsense. I couldn't even take the time to give you a lecture about your propensity to put yourself in ridiculous situations. Anyway, we were nobody," Isa remarked. He glanced at Lea with a steady glance. "We weren't supposed to have a heart. How would you have wanted me to *react*?"

Lea pouted and crossed his arms.

"You could have at least pretended..."

"Really?" Isa said, raising his eyebrows and taking a skeptical tone. "Excuse me, tell me if I'm wrong. But you gave me a report that leaves nothing to the imagination, so I have precise images of you in my head wearing tights, so how, *exactly,* did you want me to *pretend* to react, Lea?"

Lea's face took on a slight pinkish hue as he broke eye contact with Isa and slowly shifted his gaze to the garden, seemingly confused. He put a hand to his chin as if to think about what Isa was asking him.

As the two seemed to diverge from the original subject, Aqua interrupted them because there was a point in Lea's story on which she was desperate for clarification.

"Lea. There's something I'd like to know... When you found out what this job was all about, did you agree to do it or not?"

She felt more than she saw Dilan slightly straighten up on the other side of the table, comforting her in the idea that she wasn't the only one who wanted to know.

All she received from Lea was the most mischievous smile he had ever given her. And the silence that accompanied it was obvious enough for her to understand that she would not get clear answers from him. Any confusion he had expressed earlier, after his exchange with Isa, had disappeared.

Dilan, for his part, interpreted his smile and silence as confirmation.

"What world did you send him?" he asked Isa immediately.

On this question Lea turned abruptly to his friend. The two stared at each other without a word. From their seats, Dilan and Aqua could only see the back of Lea's head and had no idea of his expression, but after a short moment Isa answered Dilan:

"I don't remember."

He didn't even bother to hide the fact that he was lying, while Lea rested again his eyes on the garden with a satisfied smile on his face.

"My ass!" Dalin grumbled. "I'm sure you remember. It couldn't have been a fairytale world," he began to mumble, trying to guess for himself in which world Lea had lived his misadventure. "They're too uptight for that. Hmmm..."

"Don't bother," Isa interrupted him. He got up from his chair, ironing his slightly crumpled jacket with his hands. "You've never been there. After Lea's visit, Xemnas decided that there was no point in exploiting a new world since the ones we were already taking advantage of offered us enough resources. We gave up, and in the end, no one else in the Organization set foot in it except Axel."

Dilan grunted in disappointment. Aqua, on the other hand, was pensive, staring into space.

"Now, I think that every time I have to visit a world, I won't look at their pantyhose ads in the same way," she murmured more to herself.

"I can see that vital debates are at stake here!"

The four of them turned collectively to Even, who walked towards them on the terrace.

"Ah, Even! You've come at the right time. Lea has just told us some very interesting information about him," Dilan told him.

"*Information* which I have absolutely no confirmed by the way," mumbled Lea.

"I don't doubt him," the scientist ironically said without listening to him. "I'm sure we could make a successful sitcom out of his exploits."

He turned to Aqua while Dilan replied to Lea that his silence was tantamount to confirmation, to which Lea replied with a disdainful raised eyebrow.

"Miss Aqua, Ienzo has asked me to tell you that I have validated his work and that you can now leave for Twilight Town. He also asked me to wish you a safe journey home."

"Oh. Yes, of course," said Aqua as she got up from her chair and began to pick up her books. "Well, thank you very much. Don't hesitate to contact me if you need any more data. I'll do my best."

Even nodded his head and gave her a polite smile.

"We thank you for that. Don't you worry about a thing. We will keep you informed of the project's progress. Dilan, will you escort these young people back to their Gummiship? I wish you all a safe journey home, and perhaps see you next time," he greeted them.

Dilan assented while the others were saying goodbye. As they headed towards the entrance of the castle, leaving the scientist on the terrace, Aqua remembered one last thing and hurriedly turned towards Even.

"Say bye to Ienzo, for me," she said hastily. Before she turned around to catch up with the others, Even nodded.

It was when they approached the elevator in the great hall that another forgetfulness reminded Aqua.

"Ah, Dilan. I'd also like to bid Ansem farewell before I leave. How do I find him?"

Lea had a small incredulous laugh.

"Perhaps that's not necessary. I don't think it makes much difference to him whether you're here or not," he said in a sarcastic tone.

"I have to," she replied didactically. "Think of it more as diplomacy than manners."

He shrugged his shoulders, in a way to tell her that she was free to do what she wanted but that he meant it no less. Dilan showed her the way to the King's office, warning her that he had no idea if he would be there. They agreed that Aqua would go alone while the others waited for her by the elevator. She entrusted Lea with her books and hurried to Ansem The Wise's office.

She arrived quickly at her destination and knocked on the door. When she heard an call on the other side of the door, she invited herself in. At her sight, the King, who was seated behind an imposing desk, stood up and rushed to receive her.

"Master Aqua!" greeted Ansem The Wise by grabbing her hand. "Even had warned me that you would come by today. I hope my apprentices treat you respectfully. Is everything going as you wish?"

"Everything went perfectly," she reassured him, turning his grip back on him. "Your apprentices are very efficient and I trust them completely. In fact, I've come to say goodbye since we had finished and were about to leave. And I also come to assure you that whatever happens there will be direct communication between Radiant Garden and Land of Departure. I've discussed this with King Mickey and we've agreed on that. You and your apprentices should no longer have to go through Disney Town's communication network to contact me or the other Keyblade wielders."

"So you managed to convince him," he congratulated her. The relief could be heard in his voice. "So you could see how badly my relationship with King Mickey had deteriorated. Who can blame him after what I have done. But the truth is, I find that putting my world under supervision is far too great a punishment compared to my past actions. My citizens don't have to pay the price for my mistakes."

"I understand your concerns."

In truth, Aqua found this tutelage exaggerated, especially since its very principle went against the Rules that were supposed to keep the worlds ignorant of each other. But unfortunately, she could not ignore the justified mistrust that Yen Sid and Mickey had towards King Ansem and his apprentices. After the awakening of Radiant Garden, it was as if time had stopped and had started again from the moment of Ansem The Wise's disappearance. As if the ten years that had passed while this world was called Hollow Bastion had never existed. For the people of Radiant Garden, despite his grave errors, there was no doubt that Ansem The Wise was to be their ruler.

Aqua wondered if this obsession with restoring the former king to power should not be seen as a way for the residents to overcome a sense of guilt about forgetting their world. By forgiving Ansem The Wise and his apprentices, they were forgiving themselves. Like on Disney Town, the ruler of Radiant Garden represented the soul of the world he ruled.

"But look on the bright side of this guardianship," Aqua continued. "Yen Syd is going to make sure that Radiant Garden is a new tram station in Twiligth Town. Radiant Garden will thus be less isolated."

Even though she wasn't in tune with Mickey and his master, she knew it wouldn't be wise to criticize them in front of Ansem. Her role was to ensure the good understanding between the worlds and prevent them from falling into darkness again. And to do that, she had to be diplomatic.

"I will now take my leave with you. I am expected. I am happy to do business with you and I look forward to the results of our project," she said perhaps too cheerfully.

Ansem The Wise gave her a smile that did not reach his eyes. Aqua felt that the turn of the conversation had not satisfied him. But the King was clever enough not to insist.

"It is I who thank you for accepting this partnership," he replied, leading her back to the door of his office. "It is the least we can do for the Keyblade swordsmen after all these events. I won't keep you any longer. I wish you and your friends a safe journey home."

Aqua greeted him one last time before promptly returning to the elevator.

Isa and Dilan were in the middle of negotiations, while Lea was flipping through Master Eraqus' books, when she arrived. Dilan was trying to bribe Isa to get the name of the world where Lea would have had his short career in modeling. As they walked towards the entrance of the castle, Lea and Aqua laughed at Dilan trying to haggle with Isa, who kept raising his price until it became ridiculous and disproportionate.

Their exchange was interrupted without conclusion when they found Aeleus on patrol at the castle gate.

"Are you leaving already?" inquired the imposing man.

"Yeah, The atmosphere sucks here." Lea answered with an exaggerated air of haughtiness. "Too many dishonest people trying to ruin my reputation," he added, glaring at Dilan and Isa.

Isa pretended to be offended while Dilan sneered.

"Hey! You're the one who started with your story. Now all I can do for you is try to get as much money out of you as I can. Think of the lifestyle we have to maintain with our ice cream consumption. At least five ice creams every other day since we moved into the Twilight Town Mansion. At this rate, we're going to have to go into debt..."

Dilan, Aeleus and Aqua emitted a collective incredulous "what?!" to which Lea responded with slightly rosy cheeks that Isa exaggerated. Without waiting for them to answer, he leaned back towards his friend again, hands on his hips.

"I can't believe you're trying to sell my honor under the pretext of our ice cream consumption," he said, pretending to be offended more than he should be.

Isa bowed his head in resignation and sighed with affected lassitude.

"Oh. I'm sorry, Lea," replied Isa in the same overrated tone of voice. "How much do you estimate your honor then? Be specific, so that the next time you bullshit about yourself I can negotiate your honor at its true value."

Lea rolled his eyes but smiled at him with laughing eyes.

"No, you don't understand, my little Isa," he whispered to him in confidence. "I'm invaluable."

Visibly surprised by Lea's answer, Isa found himself without an answer. The mocking expression on his face metamorphosed into an affectionate smile. Faced with Isa's strange reaction, Lea stood up and scratched the back of his head, as he usually did when he was troubled. Although his smile did not leave his face and expressed more tenderness than the mischievousness of the moment before. The two stared at each other long enough to make it awkward enough for the three witnesses to the exchange.

Aqua decided to intervene. After all, the two men had said they were in a hurry to get home. She cleared her throat and clapped her hands to draw everyone back into the moment.

"Good. I think it's time for us to go."

Isa and Lea suddenly awoke from their bliss - Lea rubbed his neck even more vigorously - and nodded and mumbled, being careful not to cross each other's eyes.

They finally greeted Dilan and Aeleus once and for all, and Aqua, Isa and Lea left the castle. They went down the stairs to their Gummiship, parked in the main square.

"Do you want to pilote, Lea?" Aqua asked, once they got close to the ship.

"Nah, go for it," he answered, climbing inside as Aqua held the ladder for him. "I'm going to take a little nap."

Isa followed him behind and Aqua couldn't help noticing him pouting. Guessing the reason for his sudden discontent, she spoke to him as she climbed up:

"Sorry, Isa, but Mickey made me promise you wouldn't pilote the gummiship. And as I'll probably need to borrow that ship from him later, I don't want to break my word," she explained in an apologetic tone.

She walked to the cockpit as Isa sat arms crossed in the second rear seat with a sulky pout.

"By the way. Why doesn't Mickey want you to touch the gummiship, Isa? You've had accidents on your record?" she inquired curiously as she sat at the helm.

"Isa? Nah," Lea replied in his place. "He drives very well. If you enjoy the speed and the feeling of the roller coaster, there's nothing wrong with his driving. We've never had any accidents until now."

"Ah? So you guys drove Mickey somewhere and he didn't like the way Isa drove?" tried to guess Aqua.

"Not at all," Isa grumbled. "I happened to be on my way back to Twilight Town in Gummiship from Radiant Garden. I passed Riku's ship. The King was apparently with him and saw me. And he hasn't wanted to let me out his sight since."

"So much so, that, according to Riku, Mickey is considering putting a space "highway code" in place", Lea laughed.

Isa muttured something in his hand that Aqua didn't understand, which Lea scolded him for, and bitterly told him to be polite to King Mickey.

Aqua laughed and started the ship.

"Here we go," she announced. "Let's see if Terra survived his new role as babysitter..."


End file.
